Zark's

Is This the Missing Piece to the Hydrogen Economy?

This photobioreactor will be used to optimize hydrogen and biofuel production from photosynthetic microbes.
Image Credit: Department of Energy

Hydrogen is an almost perfect energy source.  It combines with oxygen to produce energy and water with no greenhouse gases. The problem is, hydrogen rarely occurs by itself in nature.  There are basically two ways to produce usable hydrogen - through steam reforming or electrolysis. 

The chemical equation for steam reforming is CH₄+H₂O->CO + 3 H₂.  Practically, it means you mix a hydrocarbon such as methane with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide.  Electrolysis is greener, but costs at least three times as much as steam reforming. 

In 2003, the Bush administration announced amid great fanfare the nation would collaborate with Europe to eliminate dependence upon petroleum and decrease the production of greenhouse gases.  The missing piece though, was how to generate the hydrogen.  The next generation nuclear reactor was envisioned to provide a more efficient electrolysis.  Unfortunately, that has not panned out.

But 'Inexhaustible' Source of Hydrogen May Be Unlocked by Salt Water, Engineers Say tells that a combination of chemistry and biology may be the missing piece to the hydrogen economy.  Reverse electrodialysis (RED) produces a voltage by forcing seawater and freshwater through a stack of membranes.  Previously it required too many membranes to produce sufficient voltage for electrolysis and thus producing hydrogen from mixing freshwater and seawater.  The Science Daily article explains that researchers at Penn State have combined exoelectrogenic bacteria to increase the voltage produced by RED and thus enable a new method of producing hydrogen. 

 

Epigenetics - Overrides DNA

The "epigenetic code" controls gene activity with chemical tags that mark DNA (purple diamonds) and the "tails" of histone proteins (purple triangles).
Image Credit: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Wikipedia explains epigenetics is the study of mechanisms that cause a change in gene experession other than the base DNA itself.  The silencing of the genes may last through the life of the cell, through multiple cell divisions, and even through several generations without a change in the base DNA. 

Examples of epigenetics include Angelman syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.  One mechanism that changes protein creation are spheres of histone proteins that are in contact with the DNA.  These have been observed to change the gene expression of the DNA.

Researchers have also identified epigenetic carcinogens.  These substances do not mutate the DNA, but instead, disrupt the normal protein production of the cell for several generations. Scientists Discover 'Hidden' Code in DNA Evolves More Rapidly Than Genetic Code tells that in a plant species called Arabidopsis thaliana, epigenetics has a much larger role in heredity that previously believed.  They are discovering traits being transferred from generation to generation without underlying DNA.

Mmm.  Epigenetics is probably the hottest area of medical research.   Express Yourself tells that epigenetics may allow you to alter your old-age destiny.  The article in UAB magazine speculates that epigenetics is responsible for more cancer than DNA mutations.  But the good news is that it works the other way too - you can turn on cancer-fighting genes through lifestyle changes.  This is through the good foods rich in anti-oxidants such as green teas and broccoli.   More intriguing though, is whether epigenetics can reverse telomere shortening.  I've blogged about this in the past - see I Want to Live Forever.  Your DNA has teleomere markers that determine the number of times the cell can replicate.  As we age, our telomeres are short, and our body no longer replaces cells.  But researchers think epigenetics can increase our lifespan by reversing the telomere shortening.

 

Does Dark Matter Exist?

Resembling the compound eye of an insect, the geodisc outer steel structure supports the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory which studies particles that weakly interact with normal matter.
Image Credit: Department of Energy

Scientists began searching for dark matter after Fritz Zwicky of Caltech proposed the theory to explain astronomical orbits which appeared to violate the known laws of physics.  Dark matter would provide additional gravity to orbiting bodies, enabling their orbits to agree with physical laws. 

Much like the dark side of the moon is not really dark (we just cannot see it from Earth), dark matter is practically invisible to humans.  It does not interact with electromagnetic force, or even strong atomic force.  It only reacts to gravity and weak atomic force.  Consequently if you had a lump of dark matter in your hands, it would immediately slip through them and you also would never see it.

Besides Zwicky's orbit phenomena, dark matter is also proposed to explain the bending of light where it should not be bent.  But in 78 years, scientists have never been able to directly measure or observe dark matter.  Some are beginning to wonder whether the theory is wrong.

As an example, Dwarf galaxies suggest dark matter theory may be wrong explains that dwarf galaxies would not form if the current theory is correct.  Along the rim of the Milky Way is a halo of dwarf galaxies believed to be composed primarily of dark matter.  Because of their dimness, astronomers have believed they are composed of that stuff we cannot see.  But the problem is that there are far more small galaxies than there should be.  One astronomer proposes that the universe really has warm dark matter rather than cold dark matter.

The dark at the end of the tunnel tells that an experiment named DAMA, deep underground central Italy may have detected dark matter.  The problem is there are other weakly interacting, high energy particles such as neutrinos which also ring the detector's bell.  Experimenters cannot point to a specific detection and say with confidence that it was dark matter instead of a neutrino.  But they believe that annual cycles show a seasonal pattern that establishes the detection of more dark matter during winter.  Not convinced? - you have company with other particle scientists.

Mmm.  It seems difficult to believe that if dark matter accounts for 83 percent of the universe, and normal matter 17 percent, that we have not detected the particles in 78 years of observation and research.

 

Unleashing the Elwha River

Elwha River
Image Credit: USGS

The USGS tells that the Elwha River was famous for the diversity and size of the salmon runs.  After the construction of the Elwha Dam in 1912 and the Glines Canyon Dam in 1927, salmon lost access to over 70 miles of river habitat.  Perhaps 400,000 salmon returned each year.  Now less than 4,000 return to the residual 4.9 miles remaining after the dam.

National Geographic explains the dams were originally constructed to generate electricity for a paper mill in Port Angeles.  Although once important for industrial development in the region, the dams are now obsolete and the power grid receives its electricity from Portland, Oregon. 

Wikipedia explains that the river begins within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County, Washington, and flows to the Strait of Jaun de Fuca.  Today (Saturday, 17 Sept 11), an excavator will remove the first concrete from the Elwha Dam.  Actor Tom Skerritt will participate in the ceremonies at the Dam.  If you recall, Tom Skerritt was the Presbyterian minister, Rev. Maclean, in the Oscar-winning film, A River Runs Through It.

Mmm.  As Rev. Maclean, he made the following statement long after the death of his son.
From IMDb -

Each one of here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.

Mmm.  It is difficult to describe it better.  But back to the river - it will be interesting to determine the overall impact of removing the dam.  The ecosystem that developed around the lake will be killed to reestablish the original ecosystem of the river.  The results will be important data for future environmental restoration.

Is Inorganic Life Possible?

Animal Cell
Image Credit: Judith Stoffer, NIGMS

Generally we think of organic as some chemical structure containing carbon.  The characteristics of life are: a) homeostasis, b) organization, c) metabolism, d) growth, e) adaption, f) response to stimuli, g) reproduction.  It generally isn't easy, because viruses don't meet this criteria, and some biologists consider them life.

A little more simple definition is that life is a carbon and cellular form.  But is life a self-sustaining and adapting chemical process, or something else?

Scientists Take First Step Towards Creating "Inorganic Life" explains that researchers in Scotland have proposed creating inorganic cells with membranes that would mimic carbon-based cells.  If you recall the Star Trek series, Bones once explained, "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it." 

Peptides link organic and inorganic life tells that peptides (short polymers of amino acids) can be coaxed into becoming nano-machines that can replicate membranes with many properties of living cell membranes.

Mmm.  So we are back to the 18th century question, can a machine be alive?

 

NASA Shows New Rocket Design

Artist concept of SLS launching
Image Credit: NASA

NASA unveiled the Space Launch System (SLS) today.  It is intended to launch either a crew vehicle or lift cargo.  The crew vehicle configuration will be 320 feet high, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty.

The new rocket will develop 8.4 million pounds of thrust, which is about 10 percent greater than the Saturn V which was designed by Wernher von Braun in 1962.  Topped with the moon-bound Apollo space capsule, the Saturn V stood at 363 feet tall. 

 Weighing 5.5 million pounds, the new SLS (crew version) will be capable of lifting 154,000 pounds into orbit.  The cargo heavy lifter weighs an additional 1 million pounds and will lift even more weight into orbit.  The two solid rocket boosters each will burn 5 tons of propellant a second. 

But exactly what is the mission of the new rocket?  Mmm.  I like the description of the BBC science editor - The Rocket in Need of a Destination.  NASA estimates it will cost $18B by the time of the planned maiden flight in 2017.  (Total program cost for the crew and cargo versions could be $30B.)  NASA describes the new rocket as a capability-driven framework.  The BBC notes that if JFK had declared "this nation will go somewhere by the end of the decade", would that have had the same urgency and success as, "this nation will land on the moon".  They are right - define the mission!

 

 

Unemployment is a Western Economy Problem

Student test their cars at the MAGLEV contest
Image Credit: Department of Energy

OECD: UK has more jobless teenagers than Slovenia explains the economy is dismal on on the island.  One in ten graduates from secondary school last year have neither job nor college placing.  In the UK, they have a name for it - NEET (not education, employment, or training).  However, they should take solace that in Turkey, it is 28.7 percent. 

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), describes the global problem as, Our Economic Woes Need a Long-Term Fix.  The recommendation is that "governments need to go structural.  Reforms to product and labor markets should be a primary focus of the long-term strategy to restore sustained growth.  This will create jobs and help tackle debt."

Did you notice, "reforms to product and labor markets", instead of the tired refrain of "the unemployed need retraining and web-centric skills".  I'm pleased to hear some adults recognizing there must be a balance of trade.  Asian countries have used global trade as a jobs engine, to the disadvantage of western economies.  Populism is a dangerous force and western governments should begin balancing markets before it overcompensates.

 

Man in the Mailbox Attack

Image Credit: U.S. Air Force

You know about phishing and social attacks, but now we have to be concerned about fingers that are too big.  Trade secrets exposed by 'stealthy' email typo attack tells that researchers have shown how much data can be captured from misspelled email addresses.

The researchers purchased 30 domain names which were misspelled variants of the largest corporations.  They captured 120,000 emails and many of those contained trade secrets, insider marketing information, and other messages that would trouble corporate security managers.

The first error is human - someone types in goagle.com as the email address instead of google.com.  Then technology compounds the error, because email programs such as Outlook 2010 will automatically fill in the erroneous email address.  If you have a smart phone with a touch screen display, the probability of errors is even greater.

So how can you avoid the man-in-the mailbox?  Purchase the domains for misspelled variants of the company's email address.  Of course, that doesn't help if the email is going to another company - they would have to purchase that domain name.  Perhaps white-listing of email addresses within a company.  It would not be possible to send an email that is not registered with the corporate server.

Yet another method is to use email certificates that encrypt the message so that only the intended recipient can read the email.  It requires discipline and coordination, but is probably the best solution.

 

 

 

Pet Cloning Has Not Turned Out to Be Booming Business

Iditarod Dog
Photo Credit: Nate Crawford, US Army

Wikipedia tells that the first commercially cloned pet was Little Nicky, which set a Texas woman back $50K for a cloned cat.  Several biotechs rushed to create business plans, but pet owners have not fulfilling their part of the plans.

First cloned cat nears 10 explains one of the problems is that clones are not true carbon copies.  For example, a cloned cat may be a completely different color.  There have also been other malfunctions.  For fees exceeding $100K, pet owners expect more.  Yet researcher Duane Kraemer says, "Cloning is reproduction, not resurrection."

Mmm.

Whispers About Manufacturing

Image Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Finally it seems that the loss of manufacturing has bubbled into American consciousness.  Poll shows creating manufacturing jobs is key to recovery tells that voters are beginning vocalize that manufacturing is the key to economic recovery.

Mmm.  I want to introduce a new friend - Derek Singleton.  Check out his post, How Manufacturing Can Attract Young Talent Again.  It is well written, and articulates the importance of manufacturing and how we can restart the American manufacturing engine. 

(By the way, the UK may be ahead of our collective consciousness - Britain tries for a second industrial revolution tells that the British government has identified manufacturing as essential for lifting the island out of the economic doldrums.)